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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. club — for golf
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. suit — to fit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. club — a group
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com